Factors influencing the oviposition behaviour of the sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola Coq.

Sharma, H C and Leuschner, K and Vidyasagar, P (1990) Factors influencing the oviposition behaviour of the sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola Coq. Annals of Applied Biology, 116 (3). pp. 431-439. ISSN 0003-4746

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Abstract

Visual stimuli influence the orientation behaviour of the sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola Coq. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Yellow, red and white colours are attractive to the midge while blue and black are least attractive. Sorghum panicles covered with blue- or black-coloured bags in a headcage showed maximum midge damage, while the reverse was true for panicles covered with yellow, red, and white coloured bags. Panicles at half-anthesis with viable pollen and receptive stigmata suffered higher damage than those at the pre- and post-anthesis. Physical removal of anthers and stigmata significantly reduced the oviposition by the sorghum midge. Reduced oviposition/adult emergence was also recorded in male sterile sorghum lines (2219A and 296A) or through chemically- (Ethrel) (2-Chloro ethyl-phosphonic acid) induced male sterility in panicles of the sorghum cultivar, Swarna. Chemical stimuli from viable pollen and receptive stigmata and to a limited extent physical stimuli, govern the oviposition behaviour of the sorghum midge. Sorghum cultivars IS 12573C, S-GIRL-MR1 and IS 2816C showed antixenosis to adult midges. However, these cultivars became susceptible under no-choice conditions in the headcage. DJ 6514 and IS 12666C were attractive to the adult midges, but showed antixenosis to oviposition under natural and no-choice conditions. Genotypes with short florets showed antixenosis for oviposition. Ovary and anther breadth and tannin content of grain showed negative associations with oviposition. Cultivar antixenosis to adult midges and oviposition is an important component of resistance to the sorghum midge.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Sorghum, Contarinia Sorghicola, ethrel,oviposition, Plant resistance
Subjects:	Mandate crops > Sorghum
Depositing User:	Mr Sanat Kumar Behera
Date Deposited:	10 Oct 2011 06:20
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2011 06:20
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/2092
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1990.tb06625...
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	Our thanks to Messrs D. Krishna, V. V. Rao and K. J. Chari for their help in these and the biochemistry unit for analysis of tanin content of grain. We thanks Drs K. F. Nwanze and J.M.J. De wet for their comments on the manuscript and Mr I Krishna Murthy for typing the manuscript
Links:	Author

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